It's all about perspective

Christian is a talker.  And when I say talker, I mean the kind of talker that I sometimes want to wear ear plugs.  The child goes on and on and on and on and, ok you get the picture.  He asks a 100 questions an hour, and sometimes I think he likes the sound of his own voice.

I heard something that really bothered me last weekend.  The boys and I are walking around the store killing some time, so we don't have to go back to our un-airconditioned house, when I hear a woman tell her child she wishes he would just shut up and some other words that I won't repeat. 

I look at Christian, who is looking at the display of Pillow Pets, telling me that he likes this one and that one and that Caleb this and that and I think, why would anyone wish their child would not talk?  Why would you not want your child to fully express themselves?  It is a gift that you should treasure.

Caleb didn't fully speak until he was 4.  He had a lot of problems with his speech and was non-verbal until about 4.  The speech therapists didn't even think he would have speech at one point.  But he did, and even today it is very immature for his age.  But it is a gift that we treasure.  When Christian started talking, I was amazed and I still get a kick out of his range of vocabulary.  He says some of the most amazing things.  When I'm talking to people or his doctors, I tend to get the oh well that's typical speech.  I have to stop them right there.  I have had to point blank say, I don't know what a typical child is, Christian is my first and I am truly enjoying it.

So, if I could say anything to that woman in the store who was yelling at her child to shut up it would be this:
Lady be grateful for your child's ability to speak.  You have no idea how hard it is without that.  You should always treasure their little comments, even if they are not something you want to hear.  A child's voice is a miracle and should be treated as such.  Answer all his questions, because you never know when that voice could disappear.  You never know if you may never hear a sound from your baby's mouth.

Treasure your children's words.  Treasure their questions, even if they drive you crazy.  They truly are a gift that you would never understand until you didn't have it.